Mamata declassifies secret files of cabinet meetings held during 1938-47

Carrying on her declassification spree, chief minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled more secret files, this time the documents of cabinet meetings that were held during 1938-47, which was a crucial pre-independence interlude.

Mamata Banerjee releases declassified cabinet papers during the years from 1938 to 1947 in Kolkata on Monday. (Subhankar Chakraborty/HT)

Carrying on her declassification spree, chief minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled more secret files, this time the documents of cabinet meetings that were held during 1938-47, which was a crucial pre-independence interlude.

The files are likely to shed light on important events like Bengal Famine, great Calcutta killings and Partition.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the West Bengal CM said, “Just talking about Digital India is not enough. It must be followed by action. Digitisation of files is one such step taken by us. We want that such important historic documents should be brought into light instead of keeping them stored in bags.”

Reacting to Modi’s Digital India, she said, “It will not be successful if it does not reach the people of rural India. There should be a socio-economic upliftment programme before going digital.”

A total of 401 files have been declassified on Monday and in future, the government plans to declassify files of post-independence era, Banerjee said.

“All these are unique files, during the history of pre and post-independent India. All these files will be kept at the Kolkata Information Centre and state library in digitised form. Files are related to some important events like Quit India (1942), Bengal Famine (1943) and great Calcutta killings (1946),” Mamata Banerjee said.

“In this age of internet and social media, we believe in transparency. That is why we declassified files. People must know the truth. Netaj’s daughter has also demanded declassification of files with the Centre. The Centre should do it,” she added.

She stated that researchers, historians and students would benefit from these files and added that post-1947 declassified cabinet meetings files will also be made public in phases.

The papers of that period when British governors used to preside over cabinet meetings is expected to provide an interesting insight into the politics of those days.